Traditional Networking Not Working
Over half of the UK's small businesses don't network according to the
latest research from British Gas Business

The UK's small companies are losing business by not networking, according to the latest research from British Gas Business.  More than 50 per cent of small businesses are not networking with lack of time (28 per cent) cited as the main reason why small companies are reluctant to network. The best networkers are from Yorkshire & Humberside (64 per cent) with the worst to be found in Wales (20 per cent)

Key findings include:

• 69 per cent say that they do not network because it is not relevant to their business
• 45 per cent saying that they do not need to because they do not need more customers
• Cafés, pubs and restaurants emerged as the most popular places (42 per cent) to network
• The smallest businesses (three-four employees) are the least likely to network - only 37 per cent network
• Of those companies that do network 86 per cent win new business, 77 per cent raise their business profile and 70 per cent benefit through discussing business issues with those in other companies

Adrian Harvey, Commercial Director for British Gas Business said, "Frankly, we were amazed that over half the UK's businesses don't see any reason to network.  This is deeply worrying and might explain why so many small companies fail during the early vital stages."

Harvey continued: "We want to scrap the outdated term ‘networking' and replace it with ‘getworking' in recognition of how society has changed and the need for a new approach to networking effectively.  Grabbing a crafty cappuccino at your local café is more likely to result in business than at an evening event spent quaffing vol-au-vents at a more traditional-type formal networking event.  As little as an hour a week spent networking  can pay huge dividends for a business" 

What ‘getworking' can do for you?

•1.            Develop business contacts
By meeting people, not only in your line of business, you are establishing      relationships for potential future business, employment and or collaboration.

•2.            Generate new customers
It's simple. New customers equal more profits. While you are still in the office, your local rival could be out there picking up your business.

•3.            Offer a forum to share ideas and business building tips
Don't be afraid to share your ideas with other people in a similar line of           work, the more open you are, the more your counterparts will be, enabling you to grow your business and the sector you operate within.

•4.            Gets your business name out there
Being a small business can at times make you feel isolated at times in the business world. By getting your into business circles you will slowly develop an infrastructure of support between your business and other.

Surveys were carried out between 6 - 10 June 2005.  Weighting was applied by turnover, region, industry type to make the sample representative of the 1,095,000 companies with a turnover of £50k and £1 million as estimated by the DTI.

British Gas Business supplies gas, electricity and other essential services to the commercial sector in the UK.  It is the number one supplier of energy to UK commercial customers in terms of supply points, and had a turnover of £1.2 billion in 2004.

British Gas Business was voted one of the Top 15 Best Workplaces in the UK by the Financial Times sponsored Best Place to Work Institute UK 2005, claiming second place in the category for large UK employer.  British Gas Business also won a Disability Excellence award for its disability equality work.